New collaboration for women-owned projects in Bahrain

Manama: The Supreme Council for Women (SCW) and the Industry, Commerce and Tourism Ministry have announced their new collaboration through ‘Export Bahrain’ in developing and intensifying Bahraini exports and facilitating entry into the global markets.

The aim is to support Bahraini women-owned projects by providing them with facilities and consultations to develop their products and services in order to enhance their participation in regional and international trade.

Industry, Commerce and Tourism Minister and SME Development Board chairman Zayed Alzayani commended the new collaboration between the ministry and SCW.

“Bahraini women enjoy a global outlook, and this collaboration will provide confidence and create new outlets of export opportunities for Bahraini women,” he said.

“By utilising Export Bahrain, women-owned businesses can scale and expand their business into new markets, and tap into global opportunities. Supporting women has always been at the heart of all our endeavours and this collaboration will seek to reinforce these efforts and accelerate growth opportunities for women business owners.

Export Bahrain is a critical national initiative that will push the role of women exporters in the kingdom by joining their efforts and resources in co-operation with the Supreme Council for Women.”

The minister expressed his gratitude for the efforts taken by SCW, led by Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of His Majesty the King.

“The Supreme Council for Women has led notable nation-wide programmes and initiatives to develop the participation of women and their contribution to the national economy, especially amidst this challenging time,” he said.

SUPPORT

Supreme Council for Women secretary-general Hala Al Ansari said that the cooperation with the ministry and Export Bahrain was established in accordance with the mandate of the SCW to support the participation of women in public life as well as integrate their efforts in national developmental plans.

The objective of the program is a follow-up of the implementation of one of the initiatives of the National Plan for the Advancement of Bahraini Women dedicated to raising the competitiveness of Bahraini women, in addition to diversifying their contribution to the national economy.

The collaboration is in line with the SCW’s partnerships with the various institutions concerned with economic development through services, facilities and support such as the Riyadat Financial Fund, business incubators with their administrative, consultancy, training and technical services such as the Riyadat Centre, she added.

This newly developed programme comes at a very important time in light of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the business sector as a whole, including women-owned projects.

She said the SCW will, through its ‘Remote Consultant’ platform and multiple services, direct the beneficiaries to the ‘Export Bahrain’ programme.

Ms Al Ansari expressed confidence that both the SCW team and the Export Bahrain team will work together to provide Bahraini women entrepreneurs and business owners with the support and guidance necessary to develop their products and services according to international standards of competitiveness and quality, in a way that enhances their access to opportunities in global markets.

She noted that the collaboration will lead to creating more economic opportunities for business owners, working with a wider network of local and international partners to raise the balance of foreign trade through their exports.

The SCW Secretary General said Bahraini women have a major stake in the free market, owning 42% of active individual CRs (Commercial Registrations) in the first quarter of 2020, in addition to owning 48pc of VCRs (Virtual Commercial Registrations), that can be implemented easily and conveniently on virtual business platforms across the globe.

Export Bahrain chief executive Dr Nasser Qaedi said that Export Bahrain has facilitated more than $32 million in exports over the 18 months since its inception, targeting 32 markets around the world.

“We have supported current and new exporters including women-owned companies which accounted for 20pc of all exporters, and our support has spanned across multiple economic sectors to export various products and services,” he said.

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